


The Fight Of His Life

by Just_Writing



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, May become Tony/Gibbs in later chapters after a lot of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26129839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_Writing/pseuds/Just_Writing
Summary: He had never felt this nervous before and he kept telling himself that he was just being silly. He was certain that the x-rays the doctor had sent him for had been a waste of time, after all, it was just a small, annoying cough. Nothing to really worry about, right?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	The Fight Of His Life

He had never felt this nervous before and he kept telling himself that he was just being silly. He was certain that the x-rays the doctor had sent him for had been a waste of time, after all, it was just a small, annoying cough. Nothing to really worry about, right? He allowed a small forced chuckle to escape his lips and shook his head, ‘Nothing to worry about? Yeah, right! That’s why he had been called back to the doctor’s office for an urgent consultation.’

“You okay?” Tim McGee murmured, watching his friend’s nervous fidgeting.

“Yeah,” Tony lied, suddenly regretting allowing Tim to talk him into Tim coming along with him to the second clandestine doctor’s appointment that he had so far managed to keep from not only Ducky but Gibbs as well after Tim had answered the phone call from the doctor requesting that he needed to see Tony urgently regarding his test results.

Picking up the magazine that the last patient had left on the chair beside him, he flicked distractedly through a few pages before he closed it again and dropped it back down on the chair beside him. Glancing at his watch, he sighed loudly with frustration. The doctor’s receptionist had promised him on his arrival that the doctor would see him next but that was over half an hour ago and here he was … still waiting.

“You know, Tony, the doctor probably just wants to see you just to start you on some antibiotics or something for your cough.” Tim tried to reassure his friend.

“Maybe…” Tony nodded unconvinced as he glanced across at the closed door before looking back down at his watch again.

“Mr DiNozzo.”

He jumped and looked up almost guiltily as he heard the receptionist softly call his name.

She smiled politely as she tilted her head towards the doctor’s office door as she quietly announced, “The doctor is ready to see you now.”

“Uh, thanks.” Tony smiled weakly as he rose from the chair and started to head across to the door.

Rising from his seat, Tim lightly grabbed Tony’s arm, waiting until Tony turned back towards him before he asked, “Want me to come in, Tony?”

Running his hand over his head, Tony paused a heartbeat, again glancing towards the closed door leading into the doctor’s office before he looked back at Tim and slowly shook his head, “No, you’re probably right, he probably just wants to see me to give me some antibiotics or something.”

Forcing a small, encouraging smile, Tim nodded and sat back down as he watched Tony cross to the door and open it before disappearing into the office, closing the door behind him. Watching Tony disappear into the doctor’s office, Tim stared at the door, fearful of the real reason why the doctor had suddenly called Tony back to his office so urgently.

XXXX

Studying the X-ray and blood test results in the file in front of him, Dr Hanson looked up as the door to his office opened and his patient stepped inside.

“You wanted to see me, Doc?” Tony asked nervously as he entered the office and closed the door behind him.

“Ahh, yes, Tony, please, take a seat.” Hanson nodded towards the seat in front of his desk, waiting for the younger man to sit down.

“So, Doc, what’s the matter with me?” Tony frowned as he settled himself on the chair, stifling a small cough before he managed to croak out. “Bronchitis? Pneumonia?”

“I’m afraid it’s a little more serious than that,” the doctor told him quietly, watching Tony’s re-actions closely.

“A little more serious than pneumonia?” Tony murmured, almost as if he were talking to himself, as he felt his stomach flip flop before he asked, hesitantly, “How … how much more serious?”

“I’m afraid the X-ray shows there is some sort of a shadow on your right lung.”

“A shadow?” Tony’s frown deepened before fear replaced the uncertainty in his eyes. His mouth suddenly felt dry and the air felt like it had been sucked out of the room as he forced himself to whisper, “A shadow like maybe… cancer?”

“We need to run a few more tests first before we can make a definite diagnosis,” the doctor began, hating this part of the job of having to confirm a patient’s worst fears.

“But you do think it’s cancer?” Tony interrupted, needing an answer to his worst fears.

Sighing, Hanson slowly nodded, “We still need to run a few tests but, yes, I suspect after your fight with the pneumonic plague, two years ago, and then seeing the damage the plague did to your lungs, that the tests will confirm my suspicions that the shadow on your x-rays is cancer. But I am hoping we have caught it early and we have several options of treatment that can be used to treat the cancer, depending on what stage and whether it’s benign or….”

Tony sat motionless, staring at the doctor, no longer even hearing what the other man was saying, as four terrifying words screamed over and over again in his head - Cancer! He had cancer!

Realizing that his patient was no longer listening, Hanson stopped explaining all the different options which could be considered if, and when, the diagnosis was confirmed. Closing the file in front of him, he looked sympathetically across at the shocked man sitting across from him and gently asked, “Tony, I know that this is all a bit of a shock, but have you got any questions you would like to ask?”

When Tony didn’t answer, he asked a little louder, “Tony?”

Blinking as he heard his name being called, Tony realized that the doctor was waiting for some sort of an answer to a question that he had not even heard asked.

Seeing the confusion in his patient’s ashen colored face, Hanson asked gently again, “Tony, I asked if there are any questions that you would like to ask me?”

“Uhh, no,” Tony murmured as he rose from his seat and began to back towards the door, desperate to get out of the office.

Hanson nodded, he had seen this reaction to the same devastating diagnosis before and he knew from experience that often the patient needed some time and space for the implications of such a potential life-threatening diagnosis to sink in. “I will get my receptionist to set up a CT scan appointment for you as soon as possible so we can get a more definite diagnosis.”

Tony nodded as he reached the door, “Umm, yeah, that’s fine,” he muttered as he opened the door and rushed outside.

XXXX

Looking up from the magazine he was perusing as the doctor’s office door opened, Tim was shocked at how pale and ill- looking Tony was. Quickly rising from his seat, he saw the sympathetic look on the receptionist’s face as Tony fled past her desk and headed towards the door. His heart sunk as he realized the look on the receptionist’s face meant that whatever Tony had been called back to the doctor for was not good news or just antibiotics and he hurried to catch up with his friend. “Tony?” he asked softly as he caught up with his NCIS colleague and friend.

“I’ve got to get out of here, Tim, I need some fresh air!” was Tony’s only response as he pushed open the door and ran outside.


End file.
